How to Format Your Book for Print Using Google Docs

Many writers love using Google Docs because it’s free and easy to write your whole story! But when it’s time to print your book, the paper size and margins need to be perfect. If they are not exactly right, the printer might not be able to bind your book, or the words might disappear into the middle!

Here is how to make a beautiful, professional file that the printer will love, using only simple steps.

1. Set Your Book Size: Margins and Gutter

We need to tell Google Docs the physical size of your printed book.

• First, open a new file. Go to Google Docs and click on the blank document icon.

• Rename your file. Click on "Untitled document" at the top left. Type the name of your book.

• Set the size. Go to the menu bar and click File.

• Click Page setup.

• Find the Paper size menu. Click it and select Custom size at the bottom.

• Type your desired size. For example, for a standard book, type $6$ in the Width box and $9$ in the Height box. Click OK.

Google Docs does not allow users to define arbitrary width and height measurements natively. It only offers standard paper sizes. To achieve standard print trim sizes, such as the popular 6” x 9” (US trade), a pre-formatted template must be imported. This circumvents the need for unstable third-party add-ons.

Instructions for Custom Size

1. Download a free, stable word processor (like LibreOffice Writer or Microsoft Word).

2. Open a new, blank document in that program.

3. Go to the Format menu.

4. Find the Page Style or Page Setup menu.

5. Set the custom width (e.g., 6 inches) and height (e.g., 9 inches).

6. Save the blank file as a .DOCX file.

7. Upload this .DOCX file to your Google Drive.

8. Open the uploaded file in Google Docs. The document will now use the custom trim size without needing any extension.

2 Step 2: Setting Professional, KDP-Compliant Margins

Professional print quality requires careful attention to margins, particularly the gutter, which is the space reserved near the binding. The required gutter size increases proportionally with the book’s total page count. The author must first estimate the final manuscript page count before proceeding.

KDP Variable Gutter Margin Requirements

This table provides the mandatory minimum inside (gutter) margins required by KDP based on the book’s length.

KDP Variable Gutter Margin Requirements

Instructions for Setting Margins

1. Go to the File menu.

2. Click Page setup.

3. Type your required Inside margin based on the table above (e.g., if your book is 250 pages, type 0.5).

4. Type your required Outside margin (0.375 or more).

5. Type your required Top margin (0.375 or more).

6. Type your required Bottom margin (0.375 or more).

7. Click OK.

The document is now formatted with the asymmetrical margins necessary for perfect binding, addressing the risk of text vanishing into the spine.

3.3 Step 3: Preparing Your Manuscript Text

Before styling, the manuscript text must be inserted cleanly, free of any previous formatting from other word processors.

Instructions for Text Preparation

1. Copy all your manuscript text from your drafting file.

2. Paste it into the new custom-sized document.

3. Press Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + V (or right-click and choose Paste without formatting). This strips away any old styles.

4. Select all text (Ctrl/Cmd + A).

5. Choose a suitable reading font (popular choices include Georgia, Times New Roman, or Lora).

6. Set the font size (11-point or 12-point works well for most books, though 10-point may be used for manuscripts over 80,000 words).

3. The Layout Steps: Styling Text and Chapters

This section standardizes the look of the body text and chapter headings, using Google Docs’ built-in paragraph styles for consistency and navigation.

3.1 Step 4: Making Your Paragraphs Look Perfect (Indentation and Spacing)

Professional book design uses a clear first-line indent instead of an extra line space between paragraphs. Line spacing must also be adjusted for readability.

Task 1: Set the First Line Indent (0.5")

1. Click your cursor in any paragraph.

2. Go to Format.

3. Click Align & indent.

4. Choose Indentation options.

5. Under 'Special indent,' select First line.

6. Type 0.5 in the box.

7. Click Apply.

Task 2: Set the Line Spacing

1. Go to Format again.

2. Click Line & paragraph spacing.

3. Choose 1.5 or Double spacing to give the text breathing room.

Task 3: Apply the New Look Everywhere

1. Go to Format > Paragraph styles.

2. Select Normal text.

3. Click Update 'Normal text' to match. This applies the indent and spacing to all body text.

3.2 Step 5: Styling Chapter Titles and Navigation

Chapter titles need specific styling and must be designated as headings so that Google Docs can automatically generate a hyperlinked table of contents later.

Task 1: Style the First Chapter Title

1. Select the text for "Chapter 1."

2. Center the text.

3. Set a large size (e.g., 18pt or 20pt). You may choose a decorative font or stick to the body font.

Task 2: Turn it into a Heading for Navigation

1. Go to Format > Paragraph styles.

2. Select Heading 2.

3. Click Apply 'Heading 2'.

Task 3: Save the New Look

1. Go to Format > Paragraph styles.

2. Select Heading 2.

3. Click Update 'Heading 2' to match. All future chapter titles formatted as Heading 2 will now look the same.

3.3 Step 6: Placing the Front and Back Matter

All primary book sections (Title page, Copyright page, Chapter 1) must start on a fresh page. Using page breaks ensures clean separation and prevents accidental layout shifts.

1. Insert a Page Break before each new section (Title, Copyright, Table of Contents, Dedication, Chapter 1). Go to Insert > Break > Page break.

2. Title Page: Type the title and author name, center the text, and use a slightly larger font (14pt to 16pt).

3. Copyright Page: Type the required legal text. Italicize and center the text. Use the same font size as your manuscript body.

4. Advanced Formatting Secrets: Professional Polish and Control

Achieving a professional look requires managing elements that span multiple pages, particularly ensuring that page numbering begins precisely at the start of the main narrative.

4.1 Step 7: Mastering Page Numbering (Starting on Chapter 1)

Professional books do not display page numbers on the front matter (Title, Copyright, TOC). Although the competitor stated this control was not natively possible, Google Docs allows this using Section Breaks to create separate document areas. This method is essential for print compliance and is a significant differentiator.

Task 1: Create the Section Break

1. Find the page where Chapter 1 starts (which should be a new page following the front matter).

2. Place your cursor at the very top of that page.

3. Go to Insert > Break.

4. Click Section break (next page). This action divides your document into two parts: the front matter (Section 1) and the main body (Section 2).

Task 2: Unlink the Sections

1. Double-click the header or footer area of the chapter page (Section 2).

2. Find the checkbox labeled "Link to previous."

3. UNCHECK THIS BOX. This crucial step ensures changes made to the headers/footers in Section 2 (the main content) do not affect Section 1 (the front matter).

Task 3: Insert and Start Numbering at 1

1. With the header/footer still open on the chapter page, click Options > Page numbers.

2. Choose your position (Header or Footer) and alignment (center or outer edge).

3. Select the option to Start at 1.

4. Click Apply. Your front matter pages will remain unnumbered, and Chapter 1 will cleanly start as page 1.

4.2 Step 8: Creating the Hyperlinked Table of Contents (TOC)

A hyperlinked table of contents is vital for ebook navigation, but it is also useful for reviewing the structure of the print document. Because all chapters were styled as Heading 2 (Step 5), the TOC can be generated automatically.

1. Go to the blank TOC page you reserved earlier (Step 6).

2. Go to Insert.

3. Click Table of contents.

4. Select the option that uses Links.

4.3 Step 9: Managing Cover and Full-Bleed Images

While KDP often requires a separate, full-wrap cover file, it is important to know how to manage full-page images, such as a simple front cover for a digital review copy or interior images that need to reach the page edge (bleed).

Task 1: Inserting the Front Cover (Page 1)

1. Insert your cover image onto the first page.

2. Click the image and select its position settings (the toolbar icon below the image).

3. Choose Wrap text, set margin to 0", and select Fix position on page.

4. Stretch the image until it fills the page, touching the document edges.

Task 2: Handling Full-Bleed Interior Images (Compliance Warning)

If an image is intended to reach the edge of the printed page (bleed), it must physically extend 0.125” (3.2 mm) beyond the trim line to account for manufacturing variances. Google Docs does not easily manage this external bleed margin. While the custom trim size set in Step 1 provides the correct overall document size, the author must manually ensure that any image intended to bleed is sized and positioned to completely cover the page area established by the custom paper size.

5. Final Export and Quality Assurance (QA)

The final steps involve a rigorous check of the file structure and the generation of the KDP-ready submission file.

5.1 The Final QA Check

A visual check of the document outline is an immediate way to confirm structural integrity.

1. Go to View > Show outline to display the document's structure on the left sidebar.

2. Confirm all front matter sections and chapters are correctly listed and ordered.

3. Verify the page numbering starts exactly on page 1 of Chapter 1, ensuring the front matter is correctly excluded.

4. Run a final proofreading check using a tool to catch any lingering errors before conversion.

5.2 Step 10: Exporting the KDP-Ready PDF File

The print-ready file must be exported as a PDF document to preserve all font, margin, and layout choices made in Google Docs.

Instructions for Exporting

1. Go to the File menu.

2. Click Download.

3. Choose PDF Document (.pdf).

Save your KDP-Ready PDF file.